Washington, D.C . – While Democrats may be taking a recess, House Republicans are using this August to continue their engagement with the American people at town hall events. House Republicans are listening to the concerns of their constituents and talking about specific solutions that address the priorities of the American people. Below is a sample of local new highlights from Republican district events. For photos from these and other ASO town halls and events click here.
Congresswoman Blackburn listens to voters in Bartlett Commercial Appeal
With about 100 people crammed into a room at the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn spent 90 minutes addressing an array of concerns from constituents in the western part of her Seventh District.
Citizens expressed their fears with the federal government, their suspicions of the national health care reform bill and their frustrations in dealing with bureaucracy.
“I want government out of my hair,” said a balding Gene Bradberry of Bartlett. “I don’t have a whole lot left, so that shouldn’t be a real hard job.”
Blackburn listened to questions for the first hour, taking notes on the concerns. Gun rights, family values, immigration and more control of government spending were on the list.
“I’m fearful of the direction our country is heading in,” Phil Wulff of Bartlett said. “… It’s not the country (I) grew up in.”
The litany did not catch Blackburn off guard. She has heard similar thoughts in meetings across the district.
Voters’ views on Congress sought by Conaway, GOP Abilene Reporter-News
Big Country Congressman Mike Conaway is taking part in the Republican Party’s latest effort in getting input from voters on how Congress can make the government better.
Conaway, a Republican from Midland, describes the America Speaking Out effort as Congress giving voters a “voice in creating a new agenda for Congress.”
Congressional Republicans have set up a website, Americaspeakingout.com, for anyone of any party affiliation — or none — to speak about issues that they believe are important…
Conaway told residents in Sweetwater that congressional Republicans want to hear what concerns people the most and then report back to voters later this month to see if “we’re hearing you correctly.”
Conaway said that at every town hall meeting he has attended, people bring up the same basic concerns. He addressed two of those concerns during his Sweetwater visit — job creation and government spending.
Luetkemeyer speaks to residents at Callaway County town hall Fulton Sun
America is heading for a double-dip recession if Congress allows taxes to increase during the current economic downturn, Ninth District Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer warned Monday night in Fulton.
Meeting with Callaway County residents at one of his regular town hall meetings, Luetkemeyer said the biggest likely tax hike will be refusal by Democratic-controlled Congress to extend current tax cuts that are due to expire.
“This would amount to a huge tax increase. We don’t need tax hikes in the middle of a recession,” Luetkemeyer said.
Luetkemeyer said President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress are killing economic recovery by creating uncertainty through the threat of higher taxes and more government controls.
He said businesses don’t want to expand and add jobs because of the economic uncertainty.
Neugebauer hears area’s concerns about medical care Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Residents at a Lubbock congressman’s town hall meeting Monday grumbled about spending levels but were most worried about access to medical care.
Speakers among about 60 attendees at the South Plains College Campus told Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer they worried regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cut supplies of vital medicines for rural emergency rooms and enriched pharmaceutical companies.
Neugebauer sought recommendations for federal spending cuts to help pare down trillions of dollars in borrowing, and received a few. Attendees criticized programs by the U.S. Department of Education they felt best left to the states, without being specific, and bills that spent federal dollars to help a small number of people or a specific industry.
The congressman set a series of town hall meetings in the district in part to support bills making it more difficult for the federal government to borrow or raise taxes, and requiring regular reviews of federal agencies similar to Texas’s Sunset process.
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In Amherst, Goodlatte says national debt is No. 1 problem The News & Advance
Rep. Bob Goodlatte spoke to Amherst County business and civic leaders Tuesday about the national debt, health care and federal stimulus spending…
“If you are worried like I am about this debt, speak up,” he said, telling people to go to the website www.americaspeakingout.com and put in their suggestions for ways to fix the budget.
“I really think that is the number one issue in Washington that is not being addressed in any significant way,” Goodlatte said.
“Instead, what we are doing is passing a new health care bill,” he said as the audience of about 20 people chuckled.
Barton using break to touch base with constituents Waxahachie Daily Light
Members of Congress are back home for a “district work period” and U.S. Rep. Joe Barton isn’t slowing down as he travels from one slated appearance to another, seeking to touch base with as many constituents as possible in his 6th District before due back in Washington, D.C., by Sept. 14.
Tuesday noon, he addressed members of the Waxahachie Lions Club before heading south to Centerville in Leon County for a town hall meeting (his fourth in recent days) and then a Republican Party reception over in Fairfield. Today and tomorrow, he has four more town hall meetings scheduled, including one at 7 p.m. today at Midlothian City Hall, 104 W. Ave. E, where he hopes to meet with Ellis County residents.
The nation’s economy and budget were among the topics touched on with the Lions by Barton, who said government has to rein in its borrowing and spending.
The nation’s Declaration of Independence may cite “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” but “it doesn’t guarantee happiness,” he said, saying, “We can’t spend our way out of a recession. We can’t spend our way to happiness.”
Photos of these and other events can be found on ASO’s Flickr page
Tags: Member Activity, Press Release